Devotion
by Jimmy Dean 4 the Beans
Summary: Upon returning to the Infinity after the destruction of the Diadect, John struggles to cope with the loss of his best friend. Lasky tries to help, and in the process, introduces Chief to someone he never knew he needed. But when an evil even more ancient than the Diadect emerges, the Infinity will need all the help it can get. LaskyxPalmer, ChiefxOC. Rating subject to change.
1. Meeting

**July 28, 2557, 0324**

 **Hours UNSC Infinity, Hangar Hay 13**

No one bothered him for hours. He just sat, hollow and broken, atop an ammo crate. He stayed that way for an imperceivable amount of time. Minutes turned to hours, hours turned to days. He still sat, unmoving, as if he were carved from alloyed marble. Her last words still ringing in his ears.

" _Goodbye, Chief."_

He hated himself. He hated her for leaving him alone. He hated that he wasn't able to save her. He hated practically everything at this point.

 **July 30, 2557, 0936 Hours**

 **UNSC Infinity, Hangar Bay 13**

Finally, he felt someone sit down next to him. He turned his head to look at the unknown party, seeing it to be Thomas Lasky, Captain of the _UNSC Infinity._ The bones in his neck popped from days of staring at his own boots. "Chief…" Tom started, trailing off. "I don't know exactly what happened down there on the _Mantle's Approach._ I'm not going to debrief you, because of how shaken you are." Master Chief Petty Officer John-117 didn't particularly like how the Captain was purposefully using smaller words and showing such sympathy, but kept it to himself. No one knew how broken he was. He didn't want anyone to go through this pain, not even his worst enemies.

But he'd done it. _They'd_ done it. Earth was no longer in danger, although New Phoenix was gone. Tom was still talking, "...so I put in for some therapy." John stiffened a nearly imperceivable amount. "Respectfully sir, it's kind of hard for me to talk to other people." Tom nodded. He figured he would say this. "I know, Chief. I'm not really asking though. It's the best way for you to learn to cope with your...loss. I'm sorry." John looked at him, annoyed. He stood up, both the armor and his joints creaking from days of inactivity. He towered a good foot over Tom's head, and the smaller man couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. John reached up and undid the seals on his helmet, before removing it and setting it down on the crate. Tom noted the ghostly pale skin, the slight smattering of freckles on the bridge of his nose, his short brown hair streaked with the slightest gray accents, and the tear tracks running down his cheeks. Jesus, the most powerful man in the universe was _crying._ That scared Tom more than the Covenant ever had, even the stories of the Flood paled in comparison to the melancholy he saw in the broken man before him.

He and John stood there for a few minutes longer, their eyes locked in a silent battle of wills, Tom's brown against John's blue. John finally gave in, something that Tom hadn't been expecting. "Fine. When do I start?" Tom thought for a moment. "Tomorrow. Now, go get yourself cleaned up." John nodded, not even saying 'sir' as he departed the hangar bay, all his fight gone. Tom sat on the crates for a few moments longer, looking after his departing form. He glanced back at the man's discarded helmet, seeing the gold visor glittering faintly in the hangar's light. Suddenly, there was the sound of whirring machinery behind him, and he turned to see a deckhand in a Cyclops exoskeleton. "Pardon me sir," The man began politely, "but would you mind moving? I need to put those away, and I didn't want to bother the big guy. He looked pretty shaken up." Tom jumped. "Of course, marine. Carry on." He grabbed the Chief's helmet, and the deckhand began moving the crates.

Looking into the visor, he saw his own worried face looking back at him. _He wouldn't just leave this, would he?_ He looked around. Chief was nowhere to be seen. _I guess I'll just hang onto it for him._ He thought as he made for his quarters. He placed the helmet on top of the dresser, where it sat gazing into nothingness. Tom sat down on the bed, looking at it. That gold visor had saved his life more than once. He only hoped he could return the favor.

 **July 30, 2557, 1013 Hours**

 ** _UNSC Infinity,_ MCPO Sierra-117's Quarters**

John lay on his rack, staring at the ceiling. It was a cold gray, just like all his emotions right now. There came a knock at the door, and then another. He didn't care if they came in, the door was unlocked. Hell, it could have been a Covenant hit squad for all he cared. The door slid open. He heard someone pad into the room, clearly barefoot. He didn't sit up. He couldn't bring himself to. Then the person leaned over him, a concerned expression on her face. She was a Spartan-III, he could tell by the vicious scars on her exposed arms. She wore a white tank top and black exercise shorts, and her long auburn hair was tied back in a ponytail. In her hand was a pair of black running shoes. He assumed by the sheen of sweat glinting off her body, as well as her attire, that she had just gotten done at the gym. "I heard we were getting a new person at therapy, but I wasn't expecting you at all. The fabled Master Chief." Her voice had a

slight goading edge, but her expression was soft and concerned. She looked at him for a second more, before saying, a little kinder this time, "You don't talk much, do you?" He remained silent. "Anyways, I'm Lily. You might want to get out of your armor before you lay on the bed, just saying. It's not super-great for the bed." John looked directly at her for the first time. He saw she had a long, yet pretty face with full lips and a large scar running across her left eye and terminating at her jawline. Her left eye was a pretty cyan, while her right was a subdued green. He supposed her left eye was flash-cloned. He sat up, not really feeling the burning in his muscles. He stood tall, towering over her.

She was unintimidated, still looking at him with the fire in her eyes. He matched her stare, and she saw how deeply scarred he was. She had no clue what happened to him, just that he had saved all of humanity for what was hopefully the last time. He pushed past her and began making his way towards the armor bay. She frowned. She wanted to know his story, they all did. She sighed and headed towards her own quarters for a much-needed shower. He'd tell her when he was ready.

 **July 30, 2557, 1047 Hours**

 ** _UNSC Infinity,_ Spartan Armor Bay**

As John moved along the corridors of the _Infinity,_ he noticed that everyone was staring at him, ceasing whatever task or conversation they'd been having to look at him. He didn't know if he liked the attention, or the whispers. He was trained to ignore them, and he did, but he couldn't help but feel alienated. As he was getting his armor removed, the technicians looked at him silently. Finally, he was in just his biosuit, and he left, back to his quarters. He reached it uneventfully, wanting to do nothing more than lay down and never get back up. However, the dresser door was slightly ajar, drawing his attention. He thought back. He had no possessions that he knew of, at least none that he had brought on board. He looked inside. Inside were workout clothes and a freshly pressed dress uniform. He sighed. Why did people think he always deserved things? He wasn't a hero. He was just doing his job.

Still, he appreciated the clothes. The captain must have ordered them before he got back. He peeled off the biosuit, relishing the feeling of the cool air on his bare skin. He removed the PT clothes from the drawer, putting them on the bed. He decided to take a shower first. Moving into the small bathroom, he turned on the hot water. He was amazed at how good it felt, and spent a whole five minutes there, cleaning himself up. How long had it been since he had taken a shower? He thought hard. At least four years. When he got out, he wrapped the towel around himself and moved into the actual room. He changed into his new clothes, laying down as he finished. He closed his eyes, letting the darkness take him away.

 **July 30, 2557, 2016 Hours**

 ** _UNSC Infinity,_ CPT Thomas Lasky's Quarters**

Tom sat on the edge of his bed, looking into Chief's visor, not really seeing. He kept flashing back to the first time he'd seen it, all those years ago at Corbulo Academy, the night that Chief had saved him. He was so engrossed in his own mind that he didn't hear Commander Sarah Palmer come in. It wasn't until she put her hand on his shoulder that he snapped out of it. "Tom? Are you okay?" He jumped. "Huh? Oh, yeah, Sarah. I was just thinking, that's all." She followed his eyes and saw the helmet. Her frown deepened. "You're worried about him, aren't you?" He nodded. "He saved my life more times than I like to think about. I just hope I can repay the favor." She nodded. "I understand. I don't know him too well personally, and I'm afraid when we met I gave off the wrong image." Tom silently agreed. He knew for a fact that Sarah tended to be rude and offensive when meeting new people. He knew it was simply a facade built up to make her seem distant and unlikable, but he had learned to deal with it and had found she had a very sweet, caring disposition. Well, at least around him. "Now" She began anew, "it's dinnertime. It's also Pizza Friday. And I know you won't let a girl down on Pizza Friday." He smiled for the first time that evening. She always knew exactly what to say. It didn't help that it was true, Pizza Friday was one of the few times he and Sarah could enjoy each other's company in public. She got up and made for the door, Tom following close behind.

 **July 30, 2557, 2034 Hours**

 **UNSC Infinity, Mess Hall**

John stared at the mess on his plate. According to everyone he overheard, this was the greatest day of the week on board the _Infinity,_ due to this strange food. He looked up when he felt someone sit down across from him, and saw Lily grinning back at him. "You ever had this stuff, big guy? Best thing in the entire damned galaxy." She said around a mouthful. He looked at it again. It was some sort of bread, covered in cheese and sauce. Small round disks of meat sat on top of the cheese. He'd never seen anything like it in any of his MREs or ration kits, and it kind of unnerved him. RIght now, he didn't want anything new. He just wanted things to go back to the way they were before. He knew it was childish and immature, but he couldn't help it. He was in a crowded mess hall where people were chattering and laughing, but he felt lonelier than ever. "Hey" He was brought back to earth by Lily, her voice soft. "You're looking kind of out there, big guy. If you don't want it, I understand. There's always going to be another Friday." He nodded silently, not trusting his voice. She smiled kindly. "Okay." Then, faster than he could have expected from a Spartan of her class, her arm shot out and grabbed his pizza off his plate. "Don't worry, I'll make it up to you." She said, winking. John found the wink to be rather strange and inappropriate, but just nodded again.

 **July 30, 2557, 2036 Hours**

 **UNSC Infinity, Mess Hall**

Over at the next table, Sarah and Tom watched the awkward exchange between John and Lily. Sarah found it humorous to watch the Master Chief look around and appear flustered by the friendly advances of the younger woman. Tom, however, was slightly less entertained by the scene. "Lighten up. It's good to see someone at least trying." She said, noting his somber expression. He nodded. "I suppose you're right. I'm just worried about him, that's all." She shrugged. "Trust me, Lily's more than capable of taking care of him. We've had our differences…" She trailed off, remembering a certain instance that had left both of them with black eyes and some bruises. "...but I trust her with my life, she's saved it a few times too." She finished, looking rather pensive. Tom sighed. "I guess if you trust her, so do I." Sarah smiled. She liked how protective and caring Tom was. He was no Spartan, but he tried to defend everyone on board his ship. _He was so just so likable,_ she often thought, as well as nerdy and goofy in his own little way. _A little sexy, too._ She pushed that thought away, except for the nights she didn't have duty the next day and could get a little tipsy. She'd always go back to her room and have quiet conversations with a pillow she pretended was him. These little 'chats' ranged from casual to insane to sexual, and room in between. The entire time she would giggle like a schoolgirl, pretending the _Infinity's_ handsome captain was in her room with her. In the mornings, she wondered why the hell she had these little fantasies, it wasn't like anything was ever going to come of them. It was a very un-Spartan way to act, she chastised herself. Yet she kept doing it, each time getting a little better at figuring out what she would say if he ever was there with her.

She snapped out of her daydream when she noticed him looking at her with a funny expression. "You okay? You've been staring at me like that for the past five minutes." he said. "Like what?" she responded, getting a little defensive. He made a silly face that couldn't possibly have been her, and she laughed, punching him in the arm lightly. He laughed back, and grabbed their trays to return to the galley. She looked after him, still smiling. She wondered if he felt anything for her. Probably not. They were best friends and _Infinity's_ two most senior officers, that was all. She could be a bit of a bitch too, sometimes. She'd had plenty of one-night-stands, but she seriously doubted anyone could really _love_ her for who she was. There just wasn't anything really intimate about having sex in a foxhole because you could die at any moment, that was just spur-of-the-moment lust. She definitely _wanted_ something between the _Infinity's_ nerdy captain and herself, but she just never saw it ever happening.

He approached the table, flashing a smile at her. "You ready? I'll walk you to your quarters." She blushed a slight tinge of pink, and he wondered what was happening with her tonight. She was being very odd, but Tom simply dismissed it as slight delirium and giddiness from the war finally being over. She stood up, still slightly flustered. As they left, he looked back to see the Chief. He was still sitting at the table with Lily, and as he watched, he began talking to her and grabbed their trays. She was surprised for maybe a second, before laughing at whatever he said, and replying. Tom smiled. _He'll be okay,_ he thought to himself.

 **July 30, 2557, 2050 Hours**

 **UNSC Infinity, Mess Hall**

John was surprised by Lily and her impressive stories of the war. For someone born to die, she had lived through quite a lot. She explained to him that she was part of Gamma Company, training on Onyx before the planet had come alive. She had barely survived the Covenant's assault, as well as the powerful Onyx Sentinels. She had escaped into the shield world within the planet, similar to to Requiem, to be trapped there for some time. After she escaped, she was stationed on board the _UNSC Jade Rabbit_ to complete her training alongside the first S-IV recruits. It was there she was part of Shadow team, an exclusive fireteam made for espionage and assassinations.

After several missions, Shadow team was destroyed, Lily being the only survivor. "That," She said proudly. "Was where I got this." She pointed to her scar and cloned eye. "Wrestling with a hinge-head general with nothing but a combat knife." She went on to state how she had become a lone wolf after that, preferring to stay by herself. She got into a drunken fistfight with Commander Palmer, then one of her fellow S-IVs, over the matter. John found this highly amusing, although he didn't say it aloud. Palmer was later promoted to an officer, and then oversaw all Spartan activity in the battlegroup. She and the other S-IVs were assigned to field test the newly unveiled OCEANIC armor, largely considered to be a flop. She stated that she saved Palmer's life three times on that mission, and several Spartans died during. After they returned from the mission, Palmer received an advancement and was asked to oversee all Spartan operations on the _UNSC Infinity,_ which she readily accepted on the condition that she could take Lily with her. That led up to the present day, where Lily didn't see too much of Sarah anymore, except for the rare occasion that they were at the bar at the same time.

John actually found himself listening intently to her as she finished. She glanced at her watch. "Jeez, it's getting pretty late." She stretched animatedly, and let out a fake yawn. "I'm going to have to hear your story later, big guy. Right now, all I want is a good old snooze." She moved to grab their trays, but John beat her to it. "You go rest. I'll take care of this." She chuckled. "Well, a gentleman. Sure thing, big guy." They got up together, and John stopped her. "It's John." He said quietly, blushing a little. Lily stopped, looking at him. Then she smiled kindly. "Goodnight, John." She said, trying out the name. It suited him. He looked like a John. She turned and left, leaving a hollow pit at the bottom of John's stomach. Even though she had dominated the conversation, he still felt like she had enjoyed his company and learned something about him. He knew he had. There was something about her, maybe her attitude, maybe her voice, maybe even her looks that appealed to him.

He returned the mess hall trays, still feeling confused and odd. As he entered his room, there was still something strange. He took another shower, this time cold, and just stood in the water for three minutes. He shut it off, drying himself with the towel, and decided to forgo a shirt, just changing into his PT shorts for bed. He fell asleep after ten minutes of thinking about Lily and her story. John didn't have much experience around women, but knew that she was incredibly pretty by most people's standards. He didn't much care about that as much as her disposition. She could be surly and sarcastic at times, but she was very still very nice to him. He drifted off to sleep still thinking of Lily, Cortana not crossing his mind once.

 **July 30, 2557, 2103 Hours**

 ** _UNSC Infinity,_ Outside CDR Sarah Palmer's Quarters**

Tom stopped outside Sarah's cabin. She was being rather clumsy, still. He actually had to grab her to prevent her from tripping over her own feet at one point. Something was off with her, and he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. He was also too shy to ask what was wrong outright, it would be rude and he didn't want to offend her. He had a sneaking suspicion it had something to do with him, and that thought made him nervous. Did she know about his secret crush on her? How could she? He'd never told anyone, not even Roland, the _Infinity's_ AI. He normally told Roland everything, but this was one secret he didn't trust him with. She looked at him, a slight smile playing across her features. Thoroughly creeped out by her behavior, he bid her goodnight, but she said nothing back. He waited a moment, before turning to walk away. Her arm lanced out, grabbing his wrist and spinning him back to face her. Before he could react, her lips touched his. Stunned, he wasn't sure how to react. After a long moment, she broke away from him, looking embarrassed. "I've been waiting for that, Tom." She said quietly. He couldn't stop gaping at her, shocked and amazed. Reading his face, he saw her face register hurt. "I'm sorry, Tom." Her face was almost purple, she was blushing so hard. She ducked into her room before he could stop her, leaving him flustered and confused as how to react to the situation. Was she upset? Obviously she liked him too. Did she think he didn't? He sighed, digging the heels of his palms into his closed eyes. He needed some sleep. He'd think about this in the morning.

 **July 30, 2557, 2105 Hours**

 ** _UNSC Infinity,_ CDR Sarah Palmer's Quarters**

Palmer resisted the urge to punch something. What the hell was she thinking?

She sat down on the bed, tired and frustrated with herself. In what world was that okay? She didn't even know how he felt about her. He probably just thought she was a good soldier, that was it. He didn't care about her like she did him. She felt like screaming. She fell back, shutting her eyes. Before she knew what happened, she was waking up to the shrill buzzing of her alarm clock. She growled an explicative, slapping around the top of the clock until finally finding the button. She stood up, stretching. She was still in her civilian clothes, and she showered and dressed in her uniform quickly. She left her quarters and moved to her office, taking her time. There was a pile of papers on her desk. She sighed. She hated being an officer sometimes.

 **July 31, 2557, 0936 Hours _UNSC Infinity,_ MCPO Sierra-117's Quarters**

John woke up to someone touching his arm. He looked up and saw Lily, smiling down at him. "Come on, we can't be late for the session." John got up, Moving towards the dresser. She stopped him. "Don't bother. Everyone wears civvies." He raised his eyebrows an almost imperceptible amount. After putting his shirt on, he followed her down the winding corridors of the _Infinity._ To his surprise, they headed away from the S-Deck, where the medical wing was located. Instead, they moved towards the recreational facility. "What are we doing here?" John asked Lily as they paused for her to type in the code for the door. "Hm? Oh, I really don't know. I think it has something to do with being at ease in our environment, or something like that." The door noiselessly slid open, and the two walked in.

Sitting down was a small woman that looked maybe in her early forties. She looked up from her datapad, smiling as she saw the two of them. "Hello Lily, John." She nodded at him, and he returned the gesture. Doctors made him uneasy, and this woman was no exception. "I'm Lieutenant Commander Baker, but please call me Jane." John stiffened, a habit around officers. She noticed his change in bearing and chuckled. "At ease, John. Inside this room, I'm not an officer, and I'm not a doctor. I'm your friend." John didn't know what to make of it. He'd never received orders like that. "Please, sit down." The psychiatrist gestured towards a large sofa. "Where are the others?" Lily questioned, sitting obediently. John followed suit after a moment's hesitation. "Well, seeing as we now have two Spartans, I figured it prudent to separate you from the others, due to your radically different experiences." Jane said, smiling at the two huge figures before her.

She began asking questions, first to Lily, then John. John was exceedingly nervous at first, he had never been asked questions like this before. She asked him what his favorite color was first. He blanked. Colors had always been just that. They designated friend from foe, the med-bay from the armory. He'd never had a favorite, so he just said, rather plainly, "I don't know." She smiled and continued, not missing a beat. "Alright, it's okay. I'm glad you answered truthfully. Now, can you tell me your full name?" He answered immediately. "Master Chief Petty Officer John-117." Jane paused. "Okay, you didn't have to tell me your rank, but it's fine. Now, what is your fondest childhood memory?" John paused. He didn't have a whole lot of memories from then. The youngest he could remember was his Spartan-II indoctrination, and that was most assuredly not his favorite. "I'd have to think about it." He said quietly. He was suddenly aware of Lily's hand on his shoulder. "Okay, that's fine. Take as long as you want." Jane smiled kindly and began asking Lily questions.

John reflected on his pseudo-childhood. The happiest he had ever been was winning an exercise for the tenth time in a row against Bravo company. Bravo had had poor leadership, and John was a natural-born. He had also had the gift-although lately he had been feeling it was a curse-of luck in all of his endeavors. It was only luck that had kept him from dying like he should have by Cortana's side. He hated it. It was unfair that she died and he have to keep going like nothing ever happened. This was an immature and un-Spartan way of thinking, but he didn't care anymore. He hated this feeling of loneliness. Except he wasn't. He looked over at Lily, talking animatedly with the psychiatrist. He had her. He dived down into his own mind again. For all the time he and Cortana had been together, he had begun to figure out how her mind worked. He knew she would want him to move on. It hurt so badly, not in the sense that a plasma burn or bullet hurt, but a deeper, resonating pain that couldn't be relieved by any means. Regardless of how much pain it caused him, he had to move on. He sighed quietly. He wouldn't forget her, he doubted if he even could, but he could accept that she was gone, and never coming back. So he did just that.

The rest of the session was peaceful, John answering a few more questions as best as he could. Afterwards, the two walked away feeling better about themselves and life in general. As they walked, Lily dared to ask, "Hey, you want to hang out in my room for a little bit? It won't hurt, I promise." John thought for a moment, before shrugging. "Sure, why not?" She walked him to her quarters, opening the door.

 **July 31, 2557, 1208 Hours**

 ** _UNSC Infinity,_ Spartan CW3 Lilith-G245's Quarters**

She sat down on the bed, patting the spot beside her. John sat down, and Lily grabbed her datapad. She leaned against him, opening up a contraband game. It was a simple reflex game, tapping the corners of the screen to destroy enemies. He looked at her, surprised at her. She looked up at him innocently, smiling. To his even bigger surprise, he smiled back at her. He felt his arm slip around her waist, and her head rest on his shoulder. She smiled at him, and he felt something flutter inside his chest. She was excelling at the game, her heightened reflexes crushing the enemies. Touching her felt odd, yet natural. It was nerve-wracking, and he broke away suddenly. John got up. "I should go." He said. Lily looked dejected. "Okay, if you think that's best, go ahead." He left quickly, not wanting to see that hurt expression anymore. July 31, 2557, 1224 Hours

 _ **UNSC Infinity,**_ **Outside Spartan CW3 Lilith-G245's Quarters**

In the hallway, he put his back to the wall and slid down slowly until he was sitting. He didn't know how to feel. Part of him wanted to be angry at Lily. She had led him to her cabin deliberately, knowing this would happen. He dismissed these feelings. He could have said no, he reasoned. He saw how disappointed she'd been when he'd left. No, he couldn't be mad at Lily. He felt sad that he'd left her. She needed him just as much as he needed her, although neither of them would admit it. This was why he hated being out of the suit. He had interactions, he made friends. It bothered him, he hated feeling close to someone that could be taken from him in an instant. Then, he remembered something Cortana had said to him in their last days together. _"Promise me…before this is all over, you'll figure out which of us is the machine."_ The memory brought stinging tears to his eyes. He understood what she meant now. He felt awful that it had taken him this long to realize. In many ways, she was more human than he was. She was sweet, compassionate, and kind. He was just the opposite. A brutal war machine built for the sole purpose of killing and not feeling. He stood up. He knew what he had to do.


	2. Bonding

**July 31, 2557, 1012 Hours**

 ** _UNSC Infinity,_ CDR Sarah Palmer's Office**

Sarah glanced up from the stacks of paper on her desk. Perks of being an officer. She thought she had heard something…"Tom, please don't sulk outside my office. It's unbecoming." Tom wandered in idly, making it seem as if he had just arrived, rather than standing outside for five minutes trying to work up the courage to come and talk to her. "I don't know what you're talking about, Sarah. I just got here." "Mhm." She muttered sarcastically.

He fidgeted silently for a few moments. She looked up, putting her pen down. "What is it, Tom? I'm kind of busy." If it was anyone else speaking, she would have been reprimanded harshly. As it so happened, Tom would let it slide. "Last night…" He began, then stopped. She sighed. "Tom, I'm really sorry about last night. I didn't even think about how you would feel afterwards." He shrugged. "It's okay, really. I had the best dream ever last night." Sarah froze. She wasn't expecting this. She was expecting to get denied, this wasn't really happening. Tom could have anyone he wanted, she had overheard some of the other women and even a few men talking about how handsome and dreamy the captain of the _Infinity_ was. There was no way he wanted her. _Or was there?_ She didn't dare vocalize the thought out of fear of what he would say back. She chuckled a little inside. She was the most respected woman on board the _Infinity,_ not to mention a Spartan, and she had trouble talking to a man about her feelings for him. She instead chose for a more tentative, "So...you're not mad at me?" He smiled at her. "Of course not, Sarah. To be honest, I've wanted to do that since I first met you." She looked at him in shock. "You...what?" Was all she could stutter.

 **July 31, 2557, 1230 Hours**

 ** _UNSC Infinity,_ Spartan CW3 Lilith-G245's Quarters**

John walked back into the room, looking for Lily. He immediately noticed that she wasn't there. He moved to the bathroom, noting her absence there as well. Back in the main cabin, he noticed that a dresser drawer was open. Looking inside, he saw that a set of her exercise clothes were gone. He pieced it together and headed for the nearest Spartan gym.

It took him a matter of minutes at a brisk walk, and he moved inside. He saw Lily in the corner, hitting a reinforced punching bag as hard as she could. Her gloved fists were a blur as she delivered blow after blow to the poor dummy. The two other Spartans in the gym were giving her sidelong glances, making sure she stayed where she was. Looking closer, he saw her tank top soaked in sweat. He blinked, surprised. She had only been here fifteen minutes at most, and she was pushing herself that hard? A part of his conscious mind told him to stop her before she hurt herself or someone else. He began towards her. As he drew close, she saw him and stopped, glaring at him angrily. He saw she was crying, silent tears flowing freely from her eyes. As he got even closer, she lashed out at him, and he grabbed her fist inches away from his chest. With her free arm, he saw her wipe some of the tears away, then suddenly embraced him, her breath coming in hitched gasps as she cried into his chest. He let her hand go, and she wrapped both arms around his neck. Unsure of what to do, he returned the gesture, putting his arms around her. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the other two soldiers pause what they were doing to openly stare at the bizarre scene before them. Upon seeing John look at them, they immediately returned to their activities, pretending as if they hadn't seen anything. He was suddenly aware of Lily's voice. "You came back." She whispered, her voice catching a little. "I guess I was wrong about what was best." He replied quietly. He waited until she stopped crying and shaking, holding her against him the entire time. "Come on." He said. "You need to get cleaned up." With that, they departed the gym, Lily holding his arm.

Spartan Davidson looked at Spartan McKenzie. "What the hell just happened?"

He asked his friend. "Redheads." Was all McKenzie said, returning to his bench press.

 **July 31, 2557, 1016 Hours**

 ** _UNSC Infinity,_ CDR Sarah Palmer's Office**

Palmer shoved Tom against the wall, kissing him fiercely. Tom kissed back, matching her intensity and lust. She ran her fingers through his short hair and gasped his name into his mouth as she kissed him. He didn't resist, even as she towered over him. His hands moved to her firm yet supple backside, and she felt herself begin to slip into an almost trancelike state as a wonderful feeling she hadn't felt in a long time began to bloom inside of her.

Just as she was about to lose control, Roland's voice came over the rooms speakers. "I'm sorry to interrupt, I really am, but Captain, you're needed on the bridge." Tom swore, and Sarah put a finger to his lips. "My cabin, tonight." She said, running her tongue over her lips seductively. Tom smiled weakly, before giving her a quick kiss and departing.

As Tom entered the bridge, Roland materialized on the holotable. "Allow me to apologize again, sir, but this is extremely important." Tom shot him an irritated look. "Forgiven, you little cockblock. Now, what do you want me to see?" Roland immediately pulled up a set of coordinates. "We've received a tip that there's another Halo ring outside of charted space. It was only recently uncovered, and wasn't in any Forerunner records." Tom's frown intensified. "Where'd this intel come from?" Roland paused. "Highcom. Osman, in particular. She didn't say how she acquired it, but knowing the Admiral, she wouldn't send the _Infinity_ on a wild goose chase." Tom nodded. "Is that all?" He asked. Roland nodded in affirmative. "Yes sir. Before we depart, we're going to rearm and resupply." Tom smiled weakly. "I'll be in my quarters if you need anything else." He needed to sit down and think about this.

 **July 31, 2557, 1302 Hours**

 ** _UNSC Infinity,_ Spartan CW3 Lilith-G245's Quarters**

John sat on the bed as Lily showered. He felt very awkward, but knew that he couldn't back out now. Besides, even if he could, he wasn't sure if he would. He enjoyed Lily's company and didn't like seeing her hurt by something he had done. After a few minutes, the shower cut off and a fresh looking Lily stepped into the room, a towel wrapped around her body. Seeing her like that stirred something within that he had never felt before. He immediately assumed it was trouble. In his experience, new things should always be treated as hostile until proven otherwise. Still, it felt strangely... _good_ . She giggled cutely as she noticed him staring. He felt his face get hot and he looked away. "You can look at me John, I don't mind." She said innocently. It took every ounce of discipline in his body to not take up her offer. In the end, however, he sneaked another glance at her. She smiled. "John, have you ever seen a woman outside of the armor before?" He paused. He had, but he had never felt like this around them before. He shook his head. She laughed. "Well, I suppose it's only natural, then. Now, turn around, I need to get dressed." He obeyed, averting his eyes again. After a few moments, he shot another quick glance in her direction. She had her back to him, and all she was wearing was a pair of black underwear. She was selecting a pair of shorts from the drawer, and his eyes shot back forward. It felt wrong, dirty even, but he felt so satisfied. He hated how he was resorting to such immature actions.

A few moments later, she wrapped her long arms around his shoulders. "I'm glad you came back." She whispered into his ear. "Me too." He replied quietly, one of his arms snaking out and finding it's home around her waist. He pulled the two of them back, and they collapsed on the bed, cuddling each other. He brushed a few strands of her damp hair away from her face. He didn't feel nervous anymore. He felt like he belonged.

She sat up suddenly. "Hey, let's go hang out in the rec rooms, we can watch a movie." He agreed, even though he had no idea why she wanted to go watch training films. He just wanted to be with her. When they arrived, she went straight for a shelf with hundreds of small cases on it. He watched her select one quickly. She held it up, and he saw that it had a picture of a woman's face with a handsome man hovering over her, seemingly protective. They were both young, and the words above the two of them read 'Twilight'. "This movie is sooooo old." Lily said. "It first came out in the early 21st century." John blinked. That was over 500 years ago. "The original's still one of my favorite movies though." She beamed before continuing. "The sequels, however, are another story." She shook her head. She inserted the disk into the machine, turning on the giant television that occupied most of the wall. John sat on the couch in front of it, Lily sitting beside him. She rested her head on his shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around her.

He had never realized that films could tell a story. He was confused at first, then intrigued. He wanted to ask Lily what a vampire was, but didn't want to sound dumb. He figured out by the middle of the film that a vampire was a superhuman person that never aged and drank blood rather than ate food. He found himself enjoying the movie, growing nervous when Bella was in danger, and even chuckled a little at one of Carlisle's bad jokes.

When it was over, he found that Lily was asleep on his shoulder. He smiled. She'd had an active day, so he couldn't blame her. He got up, putting the movie back on the shelf and turning off the TV, before gathering her in his arms and carrying her back to her room. He tucked her into the bed, pulling the quilt up and over her body. He sat on the edge of the bed for a few moments longer, before stroking the hair out of her face and working up the nerve to do what he was about to do. Gently, he leaned in and gave her a small kiss on the cheek. He saw it in the movie, and it seemed to signal intimacy between the two people, Edward and Bella. He left after that, turning the light off as he went.

The second the door closed, Lily opened her eyes, biting her lip to stop the cry of joy that threatened to escape.

 **July 31, 2557, 2226 Hours**

 ** _UNSC Infinity,_ CDR Sarah Palmer's Quarters**

Tom couldn't sleep. Beside him, Sarah had her arms wrapped firmly around his chest, ensuring he didn't leave her side the entire night. He looked at her, noting how she was even more beautiful when her shoulder-length autumn hair was down. Tom wasn't expecting her to pounce on him the way she had when he had stepped into her room, and the two had made love with a passion and intensity that he'd never felt before. Sarah handled him with a gentleness he hadn't expected, considering she could have easily broken him in half. She had fallen asleep almost immediately afterwards, whispering "I love you, Tom" into his ear just beforehand. He had answered in a similar fashion, despite it being their first time together. He felt something when he was with her that he hadn't felt since he had had his first kiss with Chyler Silva back at Corbulo. With the arm that wasn't wrapped around the sleeping woman beside him, he grabbed and inspected the dog tags on his bare chest. He knew that one of them was Chyler's. Not a day went by that he didn't think about her and what they could have been if she had survived. It didn't matter now, though. Chyler was gone, and Sarah needed him here and now. No matter how much he missed his first love, she wasn't coming back.

Chyler wasn't the reason he was restless though. His mind was still swirling with thoughts of what lie on the ring. He knew the stories, everyone did. Prometheans, Covenant remnants, perhaps even the Flood. The sooner they left, the sooner they could finish with the reconnaissance and summary destruction of this newfound ring.

Eventually, his body succumbed to exhaustion and he fell into a deep, restless sleep.


	3. Learning

**August 1, 2557, 0623 Hours**

 ** _UNSC Infinity,_ Engine Room**

John stared over the railing. Heights had never bothered him, but even this unnerved him. The _Infinity's_ Forerunner engines were massive, and the balcony looking out at them was so high up that the floor below was lost in the gloom that the electric lights could not stop from taking root. It created the illusion that it was an endless abyss, something that, if fallen into, you may never hit the ground. John's eyes were vacant. He liked the engine room because he could have privacy. Here he could think. And thinking he was. He was thinking about Cortana and Lily. Would they have gotten along? John cracked a small smile at the thought of the two sassy women being anywhere near each other. They both had a quick wit, and were very protective of him. They also had more sway over him than he cared to admit. He thought about what would have happened if he'd saved Cortana. Would they still be together, forging their own path on their adventures? Would he even know Lily existed? His smile disappeared. Would he and her ever be like he and Lily were now? He knew Cortana wasn't real in the physical sense, and that he couldn't touch her or interact with her really at all other than through dialogue. He could never cuddle her in his arms, or kiss her like he had Lily. The thought made a tear run down his cheek. He brushed it away, but more were taking its place. He wished he had touched her in the Domain. He now wished that he had dropped his helmet and kissed her for as long as they had left together.

Before he knew it, he was sobbing over the railing. He had told himself that he needed to move on, but he didn't want to. He wanted her back. He would do anything to get her back, even for a short time. He would tell her he loved her and that he was so sorry for abandoning her when she needed him the most. He thought about how after she had faded away, the Domain began crumbling around him. He realized how accurate that was to his own life. It was meaningless without her, and it had been destroyed in an instant by the cold, unflinching arbiter that was time. He heard the door hiss open behind him, and he felt a strong hand touching his shoulder. He looked over and saw the face of Sarah Palmer staring back at him. He immediately stiffened, and she shook her head. "Here in the engine room, I'm not an officer. I'm just another tired soul." John relaxed, tears still running down the sides of his face. Sarah felt pity for the man. He was the best of all humanity, yet he was so tortured. She didn't know how to speak to him, or if she even could. They just stood there together for a short time, looking out over the railing in silence. Finally, she worked up her courage. "John, can I ask you something?" He gave her an almost imperceptible nod. She paused, then continued. "What happened on the _Mantle's Approach_? What happened to you?" He stopped crying, and for a long moment, she felt that he would just walk away. "I lost something" He started. "Some _one_ " He was silent for a time.

"Someone that I would have sacrificed myself for, and still would." She started putting the pieces together. "Your AI?" She asked. He nodded. "Cortana." was all he said. It was all he needed to, however. They were silent for some time more. Finally, Sarah moved closer to him and hugged him. He was surprised at first, then slowly put his arm around her. "I know how that feels." She said, once they had finally broken apart. "Back when I was an ODST, there was this...guy. Donovan. We did three tours together. We knew each other real well. I would say that I loved him, and I knew he felt the same about me. One time he told me that the moment we got out, we'd be married." She smiled at the memory. "Our fourth tour, he took one to the head by a Jackal sniper." Her expression darkened. "I was standing right next to him. I watched him die, and I probably would have too, if one of the other guys from our squad hadn't tackled me and dragged me behind cover."

John listened silently. When Sarah choked up, he didn't push her. JHe simply said, "At least you could touch him, show him you cared." She looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?" His depressed frown deepened. "You could hold his hand. You could kiss him. You couldn't just tell him how much you loved him, you could show him. I realize I was in love with Cortana." He stopped, and his next words were racked with sobs. "Now she's gone, and I'll never get to tell her, even." Sarah felt her heart slowly break as she realized what he was saying. She knew that even if he could have told her, that was all he would be able to do. She missed Donovan, but she had no idea what John was going through. They were silent for another thirty minutes, just staring into the expanse of the empty room. Finally, Sarah said quietly, "I've got to report for desk duty. I'll see you around John." She didn't have to announce her departure, but she felt John should know where she was going. He nodded. "I should get moving too." He replied. He boarded the elevator with her, and he clicked the button where his quarters were located. Sarah gave him a small smile, which he sadly returned. She rubbed his shoulder, and he looked at her, confused. "If you ever want to talk to me, you know where my quarters are." He nodded before departing for his room.

In his room, he sat on the bed and grabbed his datapad. Looking at his schedule, he saw he wasn't slated for a War Games match for two days. He sighed in frustration, and decided to explore the tablet instead. He found nothing of particular interest, and decided to go to the rec room that he and Lily had been to the day before. Upon arriving, he saw that the room was already occupied by several marines. They were smiling and joking around, having a small contest with the game console in the room. John just stood watching them for a short time, until one of them noticed him. The laughter died down as the others turned to see what he was looking at. They all sat, their mouths slightly ajar as they stared at the living legend standing behind them. Then, one of them tentatively handed him the controller. "You want a turn?" he offered. John nodded silently, taking it and feeling the smooth plastic in his hands. A marine moved from the couch to the floor, opening up a spot for him. He sat down with his fellow soldiers, and they started playing. John was confused at first, but quickly caught on. He actually began to feel happy as he played with the rowdy marines, even cracking a shy smile at their jokes and jibes at each other. They revealed that they were Apollo Squad, specializing in zero-G combat.

Just as they were getting really comfortable around each other, Captain Lasky's voice came over the intercom. _"Master Chief, please report to the bridge immediately."_ The marines groaned, and the squad leader, James, asked John if he'd like to come to the bar that night. John had never touched alcohol before in his life, but he said sure anyways.

 **August 1, 2557, 0735 Hours**

 ** _UNSC Infinity,_ Bridge**

Tom waited for John impatiently. He had decided to tell him about the ring. John had already single-handedly destroyed one, and he might just give them a fighting edge. As John loped onto the bridge and saluted, Tom pulled up the holo-map and marked where the ring was. "John, this is serious." He said gravely. John raised an eyebrow just a few millimeters, unnoticeable unless you were looking directly at him. "There's another ring, outside of charted space. The reason this one is so significant is due to an increase in activity lately. It seems that's how we detected it, and it seems to be powering up. We don't know how, or by whom." He turned to John. "You up for one more?" Looking into Tom's eyes, he saw that the younger man was asking a legitimate question. He nodded. "Of course, sir."

 **August 3, 2557, 0947 Hours**

 ** _UNSC Infinity,_ Spartan CW3 Lilith-G245's Quarters**

"Are you ever going to get out of the military?" The question surprised him. He looked over at Lily. The two were relaxing in her quarters before their Warzone Match. It started at 1300, and the two had nothing better to do in the meantime. She was laying on the bed, reading a book, while he was sitting at her feet, absentmindedly rubbing her legs. "What?" He asked, snapping out of his mildly catatonic state. "I asked, are you ever getting out of the military?" She said, laying the open paperback across her chest, propping her head up on a pillow to look at him. "You can leave?" He asked dumbly. She chuckled. "Of course you can. Especially you. You've done so much for humanity already, you could live like a king for the rest of your life." She grinned at him. He thought about it. He had always assumed he would be done serving when he finally died in the line of duty. "I never knew you could." He finally replied truthfully. "Maybe someday." He finished after a few moments. "Well, if one of us goes, the other follows." She crawled up the bed and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, making his face burn in embarrassment.

She scooted off the bed, stretching. "I'm going to go get my armor checked out, you can come if you want." He nodded, getting up. She stared at him for a moment. "Go get your suit on, then." She laughed. "You sure you don't need help with yours?" John asked with a mischievous smile. She laughed and smacked his arm. "You're such a damn pervert!" Her voice became low, more sensual. "Although, now that you mention it…" John instantly paled. He hadn't expected this. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his face against hers for a kiss on the lips. Surprised, he pulled back, not knowing what to do. Lily grinned. "Never done anything like this, huh?" John shook his head. She smiled. "Right here." She tapped her neck with two fingers, leaning her head back. John nervously approached, kissing the soft flesh of her throat. She shivered the second his lips met her skin, and after a few moments, she instructed further. "Don't be afraid to use your teeth a little." He nibbled her neck a little, moving over to the side more. Lily gasped and practically jumped into his arms. Thrown off balance, John shifted back a little to compensate. Despite being a Spartan-III, Lily was still on the heavier side, probably about 190 pounds. Their kissing continued, with only the briefest pauses so that the two could get some air.

After a few minutes, John realized what he was doing and set her down before fleeing the room quickly. She stood where she was for a few moments, dazed, before pursuing him. He hadn't gone far, and she quickly caught up. "John!" She roared after him. He paused, if only for a second. That was all the time she needed, however. She grabbed him by the shoulders and shoved him against the bulkhead, kissing him. He cupped her head in his hand, their tongues entwined in almost teenage lust. Finally, John pushed her away. "This can wait. We need to go get our armor checked." She huffed. "Fine. But we aren't finished here." He gave her a small smile. "I didn't think so." With that, he gave her a small kiss and they went their separate ways. They met later in the armory, biosuits on and prepared to get suited up. As they stepped into the machines that would assist them, she cast a smile in his direction, which he returned. He had never seen Lily's armor, and the black Gungnir Mk 1 armor served her well, and the deep red accents stood out against the dark color. The helmet's faceplate was red as well, the large visor protruding far more than other helmets. They stood, looking at each other's armor as the techs ran diagnostics and checked for damage. His had suffered heavy damage in the battles on Earth, the Ark, Requiem, and the _Mantle's Approach,_ with hardlight pits, plasma burns, and ballistic marks, as well as scores of scratches and even some blast damage. The techs stated that it was a miracle it was even functional. They advised that he get a new suit while they were repairing it, and he took their advice. Striding towards the armory, Lily tagged along. "To give advice" was her reasoning. The UNSC had made leaps and bounds in the Spartan program while John had been asleep, especially in the armor department. John marveled at the hundreds of different suits, all built for specialized roles and combat. John brushed his hand over the chest plate of a suit named 'Hellcat', feeling the cold alloy under his palm. He looked at Lily. "Do you have anything...older?" She smiled. "Right this way, big guy."

Twenty minutes later, John stood flexing his fingers in the new suit of Mk. 6 Gen2. Almost identical to his old suit, but with upgrades to the thrusters and threat detection, it felt like a second skin. By the time they were finished, it was a little past 1100 hours, and they decided to get some lunch. They entered the mess hall together, sitting at a table by themselves. They are quietly, not wanting to disturb the other patrons of the cafeteria. There weren't many, as it was still early for the officers and enlisted personnel to be taking their lunch breaks and the deckhands rarely ate in the mess, opting rather to eat what they could on the job. John slid his arm around Lily protectively. She hummed her approval and leaned into him. Her fiery red hair glinted in the fluorescent lights, and John smiled at how beautiful she was. She looked over, catching him staring. She grinned and planted a small kiss on his lips. She went back to her food, and John quickly glanced around the mess. They were the only ones, the solitary marines with the munchies had disappeared in favor of the game rooms or gym.

 **So I obviously rewrote this chapter and fixed some of the stuff I was getting some criticism on. I'm working on chapter five now, and it's going to start picking up pretty quickly.**


	4. Warzone

**Before we get started with this chapter today, I just want to clarify what Lily's armor** **looks like when I said Gungnir MK.1 last chapter. This is an image I found that is almost identical to what I envisioned her looking like. Obviously it's on a male model, but here's the link:**

 **(Correction, it's not here. Go to my profile, and all the pictures are linked there)**

 **Here's a picture of what Lily's face looks like, at least as close as I was imagining, just minus the scar and with a slightly narrower, foxier face:**

 **(See above)**

 **Now, without further ado, because you've been patiently waiting while I was sitting on my ass (A thousand pardons) Let's get into this year's installment of Devotion!**

* * *

 **August 3, 2557, 1312 Hours**

 ** _UNSC Infinity,_ Warzone Bay**

John listened to the briefing Commander Palmer was giving. He still wasn't sure how much he liked the commander, she had changed significantly now that the Requiem Campaign was over, but still held a small air of superiority. Still, she was his commanding officer, and he would respect her. This was his first session of War Games, and he was interested to see how it all worked. Palmer had said that they would be playing something called 'Warzone', something the others seemed extremely enthusiastic about. When Palmer finished her brief, she split the group into two teams. John, Lily, and ten other Spartans composed Blue Team, and the others made up Red Team. Palmer would be with the Reds, a rare display, as she usually oversaw all exercises from the observation deck. John looked around at the other members of his team. He actually chuckled when he saw the two from the gym the other day. Putting his helmet on, he saw that the visor had updated all their armor to a dark cobalt blue. Taking it off again, he saw their normal colors.

He inspected his new helmet and admired the new suit. It felt better, more reactive than his old armor ever had. Lily punched him in the shoulder. "Looking good, big guy." He smiled at her. "Hey." He called out to her. She looked up from adjusting her combat knives. "What happens to Spartans that die in the match?" She snorted. "You get revived at the nearest base you control. It's a helluva headache for a few minutes, then it fades away. It's best to avoid that though." She smirked as she finished.

He silently noted the flaming helljumper decal on the back of her helmet as she turned to board the Pelican that would drop them into the training session. The team leader was a gruff man named Miller, and he began briefing them the second they entered. "Right people, you know the drill with Warzone." He began. "Our main objective is the enemy core. Failing that, take down the enemy, neutralize bosses, and capture the FOBs. There is no time limit, so don't bother to set your clocks." His visor changed from clear to it's usual crimson. "We also have a special guest." He motioned towards John. "THE Master Chief has decided to grace us with his presence. So don't disappoint me, Spartans!" "SIR YES SIR!" The Pelican's occupants chanted back in unison.

Miller was the first out of the doors when they opened. John followed, not used to being a follower. He looked around. The configuration was a large bowl, with a massive monument dominating its center. The terrain was a mixture of grass and sand, and Miller and the rest of Blue team were charging towards a cluster of small ruins directly ahead. As he neared, he heard a Spartan call out over the comm channel. "Elite Major, dead ahead!" John took a running start and managed to grab hold of the small platform where the other Spartans were struggling to get to as well. By the time he reached the Major's position, two other Spartans were already engaging. The Major had four Elite minors with him, and they were making it difficult for the others to get a clear shot. Sprinting forwards, John slid between the legs of one, clotheslining it with his outstretched arms. The alien fell forwards, and the other two Spartans quickly moved up and stabbed it before it could get back to its feet. Getting back up, John saw another Minor charging at him. He backhanded it, and it reeled from the force of the blow. He drew one of his knives and stabbed it in the neck when it brought it's head back up. Pulling the blade free from the corpse, he dropped to one knee and together, the three Spartans unloaded their assault rifles into the Major. It's shields withered under the volley, and it fell quickly once they were gone.

"Major takedown." John barked into the channel when it was down. "Nice job, Spartans. Now, split into two fireteams. Fireteam Alpha will capture the West Armory. Fireteam Bravo will take the Temple. Once Alpha's directive is complete, they will move up to support Bravo. Move, people!" The roster updated. John saw he was in Alpha. He immediately moved for the base just a few hundred feet away. When he got there, the small progress bar on John's HUD told him they were 34% into capturing the base. Just then, Lily came down the ramp leading to the upper level, approaching the other Spartans. She looked at John. "What's your loadout going to be today, big guy?" She asked him. "My what?" he replied. "Your weapons setup. Here, I'll show you." As soon as the base was captured, Lily walked up to a small station. "You select weapons at these. They're scattered strategically at the bases we control, so you can switch on the fly. Me personally," She said, selecting an option and grinning as a weapon began to be digistructed in a small tray right before their eyes. "Well, let's just say I like to keep people at a distance." She hefted the sniper rifle, racking the bolt back to chamber one of the massive rounds.

John, figuring out how to do it, tapped at the touch screen. A shotgun was in his hands a moment later. He jumped into the man cannon by the base pointed for the temple. He switched his comms back to the Blue team battlenet. Chatter was flying all over. "Devil, watch my six, I'm going to push forward." "Shadow's giving us overwatch? I feel safer already." "Hey, Chief's here! We've got this." John realized that they were using callsigns, none of which he knew. He assumed 'Shadow' was Lily, but he wasn't sure. Just then, he realized that they'd captured the Temple as well. Looking out at the south garage, he saw several small red figures in the distance. "I bet you anything they're waiting to ambush us out there." Miller said. As if on cue, a pair of warthogs tore from the base and started towards the temple. One of the gunners began firing on John and Miller's position, and they both dove for cover. John took a hit, his shields flaring. Still laying down suppressing fire, the warthogs parked in the lower part of the temple and both driver and passenger got out. Running up the stairs, one took a sniper round to the head as Lily tried her best to assist the Spartans in the temple. The other three wised up quickly, and moved toward cover that prevented her from getting another shot. One of the Spartans from Alpha fired a SPNKr rocket launcher from the upstairs balcony, hitting one of the warthogs Spartans of Bravo team broke off to engage their respective targets, John focusing on the one with Scout armor. She was fighting two other Spartans, one with the SPNKr, and as John watched, she killed both of them. He realized he had just stumbled across Palmer in the fighting. He charged towards her, shotgun in hand, before she turned and nimbly and effortlessly knocked it from his arms. Unfazed, John went for a punch. She deflected it with her arm and kicked him in the side. His shields broke from the impact, and she made a move for her knife. He knocked it from her grasp, and it skittered off harmlessly. Surprised, she paused for a split-second. That was all he needed. He punched her in the stomach, her shields crackling with energy, and she staggered back. As he moved in for the killing blow, she jumped back, moving to the warthog that hadn't been destroyed by the Spartan with the SPNKr launcher. She leapt into the driver's seat and took off across the expanse towards the red base.

Retrieving his shotgun, John saw a Spartan he didn't recognize hovering in a hornet just outside of the base. The vehicle was positioned so that the skids were accessible to Spartans on the ground. He and another Spartan leaped on, and they sped towards the red base. The hornet's machine guns boomed as they engaged a warthog driving around outside of the base, and several bullets smashed the windscreen and killed the driver inside. His gunner, however, targeted the hornet's intakes, causing the craft to spin out of control.

As it crashed into the small knoll beside the base, the three Spartans sprinted towards the base's entrance. They burst through the entrance, eliciting startled cries from the marines guarding the base. The three dispatched them with little effort, just as two other Spartans from red team moved down the ramp to engage them. John engaged his thrusters, slamming one against the wall and shattering his shield, his shotgun delivering the final blow.

One of the other Spartans John entered the building with was down, clutching their side. The other two were engaged in a vicious battle that was all knives and fists. John raised the shotgun, but the two's erratic movement and the weapons wide spread made it impossible for him to get a clean shot. Instead, as the more skilled red Spartan knocked the blue one down and raised their knife for the killing blow, John charged him and kicked him in the back of the knee. He turned as he fell, and as he saw John's fist streaking towards him, he reflexively raised his arm. It did no good, however, as John hit him his visor shattered, killing him. He helped the Spartan to her feet, muttering an embarrassed "Thanks Chief." He moved on to the other Spartan who was still on the ground. "Can you walk?' John inquired seriously. He shook his head. "Don't think so. Give me your pistol, I'll cover you from down here." John handed it over, and the man took it, flicking the safety off.

John and the female spartan moved up the ramp cautiously, using hand signals to communicate instead of their short-range comms. The base was deserted, and they captured it without much more difficulty. The female Spartan cheered and held up her hand for a high five. John left her hanging, not understanding the gesture. The other Spartans of blue team were already charging towards the red home base.

As John ran out of the base to join them, the butt of one of Palmer's magnums crashed into his helmet as she emerged from beside the base. He staggered, and she held him at gunpoint. As her fingers tensed on the triggers, his focus snapped into Spartan Time.

Spartan Time was a phenomenon experienced more by the Spartan-II's and III's, due to their vastly superior reflexes than most Spartan-IV's. Their reflexes are heightened to be exponentially greater than an average human, thus allowing them to think and act in slow motion.

John activated his thrusters in that time, blasting him two meters from where he was previously standing, where Sarah's first bullets were whizzing by. He watched her head turn to track his movement as he reversed his direction, headed for her. He put his shoulder plate forwards and slammed into her at about thirty-five kilometers per hour. Her shield let out a loud 'pop' and a bright flash as it took the brunt of his impact and broke. She swung at him, but he caught her hand and she kicked him in the stomach. He staggered back, and boosted forwards, throwing himself back into her and pushed her against the wall of the base, denting it. She never got a chance to recover, as the red team's reactor detonated from the blue's intensive fire. Roland came over the ship's intercom. "Congratulations to blue team, you guys did fantastic, almost flawless." Sarah took off her helmet, a large smile on her face. John did the same, and she held out her hand. He shook it, and he gave her a small smile, still coming down off his adrenaline high.

They both returned to their bases, where the pelicans were ready to take them back to the staging area. They got out, congratulating each other and laughing. John, however, did not take part in the festivities. He simply got his armor removed and waited for Lily outside. As the two left, Lily threaded her pinky finger around his. He returned the gesture, and she smiled brightly at him.

 **August 3, 2557, 1437 Hours**

 ** _UNSC Infinity,_ Warzone Control Deck**

Sarah sighed. The match had been fun, John was skilled. None of the other Spartan-IV's on the _Infinity_ Would have stood a chance against her, and John had beaten her twice. Now she was stuck back in the booth. She wished she could delegate this to one of the other Spartans, but they couldn't be trusted at the controls for the Warzone matches. She heard the door slide open behind her. She glanced over her shoulder, ready to tear someone a new asshole for trespassing, but found Tom gazing at her ample backside as she leaned over the console. She huffed and looked back at the match in progress below her, smirking. "It's rude to stare." She said in a playfully cutting tone, something only she could pull off. She heard him chuckle and enter the room, sliding the door closed behind him, locking it too, something she had clearly forgotten.

He crossed the room and leaned on the console next to her, mocking her position. She threw him a glance that said 'Really?' and he laughed and kissed her cheek. She waved him off and opened the comms channel to the red team. "Soldier Bandit takedown." She barked, before closing the channel. "You just couldn't stay away, huh?" She said, finally addressing him. He feigned hurt. "Well, how could I not," He gestured to her rather revealing position. "when I have the best-looking woman this side of the galaxy?" She gave him a dry look. "Just this side, huh? Feeling the love, Tom." But the faint smile playing across her features said it all. She loved being messed with.

Tom kissed her again, and she felt that womanly feeling rising up inside of her again. She asked Tom quickly, and quietly, "You locked that door from the inside, right?" Tom nodded. She grabbed him with a snarl of pure want and hoisted him up onto the console. On the urban map outside, the Spartans of red team panicked as ten Knight Marshalls spawned in the monument with them without warning. The two kissed passionately, and Tom shifted a bit to kiss Sarah's neck, causing three Grunt Goblins to spawn at the East garage, much to the dismay of blue team. Sarah moaned his name, and the Warzone match below them devolved into chaos.

 **August 3, 2557, 1513 Hours**

 ** _UNSC Infinity,_ Warzone Control Deck**

Sarah and Tom retrieved their scattered articles of clothes, exhausted. As Tom hauled himself off the floor and into a chair near the console, Sarah joined him in the other chair, feeling extremely satisfied. "How is this going to work," Tom sighed as he looked out over the ravaged urban map. _That group of Spartans should probably be taken out of rotation for a while_ , he thought absently. "What do you mean?" Sarah asked beside him, glancing out the window, before facepalming, followed by a muttered _"Aw shit."_

"Us. I meant us." Tom smirked, bemused. "We can't keep doing this. We're both way too young to retire, and-" "Actually," Sarah cut him off. "I have a massive inheritance from my grandparents on Luna. I didn't have to work a day in my life, I chose to do all this. Not exactly what mommy and daddy wanted their little angel to do, join the ODSTs and get turned into a genetically modified freak." She laughed. "I could retire tomorrow if I wanted to. Same goes, I'm sure they have a nice fat bonus for a captain of a supercarrier." Tom smiled. "Maybe. I'll look into it after we get home from this mission." She smiled at him, not a smirk, not a sardonic smile, but an actual, genuinely loving smile. "Thank you." She whispered to him, giving him a small kiss on his lips.

"Now, I should probably make sure I didn't mess those Spartans down there up too bad." She chuckled, her usual attitude winning out. Just as she was leaving, Roland came over the intercom. "Attention to everyone the _Infinity,_ I've just recorded the best Warzone match I've ever seen, I'll be showing it at 1900 tonight in all the entertainment rooms, if you can't make it tonight, don't worry, I'll be playing it all week." Sarah huffed again and gave the small camera in the corner of the room the middle finger.

* * *

 **I'm sorry once again this took so long, I must have written and rewritten this chapter five different times trying to figure out how to do it properly. I've been trying to capture the badass action moments from RvB, but how good I'm doing it may as well be written on the _Spirit of St. Louis,_ given how up in the air it is. Please let me know in the reviews or PM if I'm doing a good job, and next chapter I think I'm going to be moving the story up to an 'M' rating, as things are going to be getting a little more physical between John and Lily. A massive thank you to ThayetRosethorn for helping me figure out that I'm an idiot, I'll be doing some fixes to the earlier chapters due to his support. Remember kids, always use a beta reader.**


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